Amy, have you heard about North Korean hackers getting jobs in the crypto industry? It sounds like something out of a spy movie!

Yeah, I just read about it. Apparently, they’re using fake identities to get hired as developers at crypto companies. It’s pretty scary.

Wait, so how are they getting through the interviews? Don’t companies check these things?

That’s the crazy part. They’re really good at faking documents. Some companies didn’t realize they were hiring North Korean workers until it was too late. Even background checks didn’t catch it.

Wow, so what happens when these workers get hired? Do they steal money right away?

Not always right away. Sometimes they work normally for a while to build trust. But then they start funneling money back to North Korea, or even help set up hacks later on.

That sounds dangerous! How did companies find out they were North Korean?

Some found out when the FBI or other agencies contacted them. They traced payments going to North Korean wallets and realized their employees were involved.

So, are these companies in big trouble for hiring them?

It’s tricky. A lot of companies didn’t know they were hiring North Koreans, but it’s still illegal because of sanctions. So, there could be legal risks, even if it was an accident.

That’s rough. And what about security? Couldn’t these workers also hack the companies from the inside?

Definitely. Some companies have been hacked after hiring North Korean IT workers. In one case, a company called Sushi lost $3 million because of a hack linked to North Korean developers.

Whoa! So, what can companies do to stop this from happening?

They need to be super careful with background checks and watch for red flags, like strange work hours or people changing their names often. And they’re also starting to use stricter hiring processes.

I guess this shows how careful you have to be in crypto. It’s not just about the tech, but also about who you trust.

Exactly. The crypto world moves fast, but sometimes that means security gets overlooked. Hopefully, stories like this will make companies more cautious.

I’ll definitely be more careful with who I trust online from now on!